While there are known effective mechanisms for accurately weight sizing fruits and vegetables, and the like, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,665, such mechanisms have drawbacks for specific situations. For example, commercial weight sizing and sorting mechanisms typically include a plurality of plastic cups, each cup conveying an individual piece of fruit, or vegetable. Such apparatus typically are quite expensive to build and maintain, and the constant clacking of the product conveying cups can provide a significant noise problem.
According to the present invention, apparatus and method are provided which allow for the inexpensive production of an accurate continuous weighing mechanism for fruits or vegetables, so that a portion of the populous that heretofore could not afford continuous weighing and sizing mechanisms, now can. The apparatus has much less noise associated with it than conventional continuous weight sizers, and is constructed in distinct parts which need not be utilized together. For example the weighing mechanism can be utilized with entirely different sorting apparatus, and the sorting apparatus can be utilized with any type of characteristic-determining apparatus such as a color sorter, digital camera, or a weight sizer.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a product weighing apparatus is provided. The weighing apparatus includes: A weighing mechanism. A plurality of spaced product engaging elements, at least two adjacent elements for engaging each product to be weighed. Conveyance means for conveying the product engaging elements, including a moving conveying mechanism and a stationary track. Means for interconnecting the product engaging elements with the moving conveyance mechanism, so that relative vertical movement therebetween is possible, and means associated with the product engaging elements for sliding on the track means; and the weighing mechanism including a portion of the stationary track means that is vertically movable with respect to the rest of the stationary track means, the portion of the stationary track means shaped and dimensioned so that at least two adjacent product engaging elements, engaging a product to be weighed, are weighed at the same time. The product engaging elements comprise self-lubricating plastic hour glass shaped roller segments. The conveyance moving mechanism comprises a pair of parallel chains while the interconnecting means comprises a plurality of sets of pins extending inwardly from the chains and engaging vertically elongated slots in the roller segments. The stationary track has three rails engaged by a flat bottom portion of the roller segments and the tops of the conveyor chain pins are at the exact level of the top of the tracks. The weighing mechanism, such as a load cell, track portion is positioned adjacent portions of the stationary track which have discontinuities in their track rails to allow effective weighing.
The method of weighing the product according to the present invention comprises the following continuous steps: (a) Supporting each product to be weighed with a plurality of adjacent product engaging mechanisms. (b) Conveying the product conveying mechanisms in a continuous manner over the weighing mechanism; and, (c) supporting the plurality of product engaging mechanisms engaging each product on the weighing mechanism at the same time so as to weigh the product being conveyed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a product sorting mechanism, which can be utilized with a weight sizer, digital camera, color sorter, or any other product characteristic determining mechanism, is provided. The mechanism comprises: A contoured supporting base. A flexible belt on the contoured base in sliding engagement therewith. Drive means for moving the flexible belt along the supporting base to convey product; and, ejector means for effecting flexing of a portion of the belt at predetermined positions along the supporting base to engage a product and move it off the belt and supporting base. The flexible belt preferably is in two distinct sections, a first section including an edge portion that is formed of a plurality of adjacent but slightly spaced, in the direction of conveyance, fingers, and a drive engaging portion (a V-belt section), while the second section has surface manifestations, such as a textured surface or shallow flights, to positively engage the product. The ejectors each include a flipper elongated in a dimension generally parallel to the direction of conveyance, and a rotary solenoid for effecting movement of the flipper through the contoured supporting base to flex belt fingers.
A method of sorting product using a flexible belt and ejectors, according to the invention, comprises the following steps: Continuously conveying product with the belt in the direction of conveyance; and selectively actuating the ejector elements to engage the flexible fingers of the belt, bending them away from the rest of the belt, to thereby engage the product at the flexible fingers and move the product off of the belt.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for effective, yet simple and relatively inexpensive, continuous weighing or sorting of fruits and vegetables and the like. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.